Why a state or an award can move the figure off the national line
When you look up a salary in the Hays Salary Guide 2025, you see a range – a typical salary for a role, often with a low and high end. But how does that compare with the national full-time average? The answer is not always straightforward, because your pay can be pulled up or down by where you work and what award or agreement covers you.
The national line
This site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 as its reference. For a full-time adult in ordinary time, the average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year when multiplied by 52. That is the line. The full-time median – the middle point where half earn more and half earn less – is lower at about $90,532. The all-employees median, which includes part-time and casual workers, is about $74,100. These figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings survey for August 2025.
Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412; women's is about $100,594. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose 4.75% that year.
State differences
State averages can sit well above or below the national line. The Australian Capital Territory leads at about $119,090, followed by Western Australia at $115,825 and New South Wales at $109,658. Victoria ($106,137) and Queensland ($106,064) are close to the national figure. South Australia ($102,450), the Northern Territory ($103,173), and Tasmania ($96,008) are lower. These differences reflect the mix of industries in each state – mining in WA, public administration in the ACT, and a larger share of lower-paid service jobs in Tasmania. If the Hays Salary Guide 2025 shows a typical salary for a role in Perth, it may be above the national line because of the state's higher average. The same role in Hobart might sit below it.
Award and minimum wage effects
Awards set minimum pay for many industries, from retail and hospitality to manufacturing and health care. The national minimum wage is the floor, but award rates are often higher. Even so, many award-covered roles pay less than the national full-time average. For example, a retail employee on a level 1 award might earn around $50,000 a year, well below the $108,352 line. In contrast, a manager on an enterprise agreement or above-award salary could earn $150,000 or more. The Hays Salary Guide 2025 captures typical salaries for specific job titles, but it does not adjust for award coverage. That is why your pay might be off the national line – it depends on the award or agreement that applies to your role.
Using the guide alongside the line
The Hays Salary Guide 2025 is a useful tool for seeing what employers are offering for a given role in a given location. But it is a guide, not a single figure. To see where your salary sits against the national average, you can place a salary on the line using this site's tool. You can also explore states and territories to see how averages vary. For a deeper look at how the figures are set, see how the figures are set.
Remember that the national average is an aggregate. It includes everyone from CEOs to entry-level workers. Your own salary may be above or below it for many reasons – your industry, your experience, your location, and the award or agreement that covers you. The Hays Salary Guide 2025 gives you a market range, but the national line gives you a benchmark. Use both to understand where you stand.